Simon Cowell Explains Cheryl Cole's Exit from The X Factor

Simon Cowell Explains Cheryl Cole’s Exit from The X Factor

Simon Cowell steps forward to set the record straight about the circumstances surrounding Cheryl Cole’s exit from The X Factor.

-Lucia Peters

Remember when Simon Cowell fired Cheryl Cole from the upcoming US version of the hit UK talent show The X Factor? Remember all the rumors that flew around about exactly why she got fired? Well, Cowell has stepped forward to set the record straight.

In an interview with Piers Morgan set to air tonight, Cowell explained exactly what went on behind the scenes that led to Cheryl leaving the show. Long story short? “She looked a bit bewildered,” Cowell said.

This makes a certain amount of sense. Culture shock can be a bitch, and when you’re going back and forth between the UK, it can also be somewhat unexpected. Yes, the language is more or less the same, but the cultural differences are so vast that it can be a bit overwhelming. Once she arrived in the US, Cheryl looked like she having trouble adjusting to the change of scene, so Cowell thought that she would be more comfortable back in the UK.

When asked if he felt bad about it, the notoriously unapologetic Cowell actually said that of course he did—because the whole debacle was so public. But, he shrugged, “That’s what happens when you produce—you have to make big decisions in the moment.” For what it’s worth, he said that he does take full responsibility for the drama.

Catch the full interview tonight at 9pm on CNN, and in the meantime, check out the clip below: